for how long i can drive with IDP in thailand?

[sustanon]

how many months i can drive legally with an IDP in thailand?

[Kwasaki]

Not months you have 90 days.

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

Not months you have 90 days.

Isn't that 3 months?

[Kwasaki]

10 hours ago, giddyup said:

Isn't that 3 months?

Not if there's a 28 or 29 or a 31 knocking about. 

e.g. Aug/Sept/Oct.

[giddyup]

7 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Not if there's a 28 or 29 or a 31 knocking about. 

e.g. Aug/Sept/Oct.

I think most of us would call 90 days 3 months, and I doubt if a cop is going to make a big deal of you being a day or two over 90 days, especially when he wouldn't even know when you arrived in the country.

[stevenl]

15 hours ago, giddyup said:

I think most of us would call 90 days 3 months, and I doubt if a cop is going to make a big deal of you being a day or two over 90 days, especially when he wouldn't even know when you arrived in the country.

Your standard cop probably doesn't even know this rule, the issue is much more about an accident.

[Kwasaki]

16 hours ago, giddyup said:

I think most of us would call 90 days 3 months, and I doubt if a cop is going to make a big deal of you being a day or two over 90 days, especially when he wouldn't even know when you arrived in the country.

Well I am not most people uust wanted to make people aware it's 90 days that is stated.

Immigration certainly would not argue with you and you would be fined for overstay for going over one day on the 30 day or 90 day stated time periods.

 

If police asked for your passport they can see when you arrived in Thailand.

[madmax2]

If you do not get a Thai license at the required time (90 days) and have a accident that could cause you problems, especially if someone is injured

I met a bloke who has been driving on one of those fake IDP's you can get here for years and has never been asked by the bib about it,but he has never had a accident 

[johnjohn2]

Incredibly easy to get a TDL if you have a IDL. I think that would be the best option.  

[jayci]

Incredibly easy to get a TDL if you have a IDL. I think that would be the best option.  

How to easy get a TDL with a IDL?

Sent from my Le X820 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[giddyup]

Just now, jayci said:

How to easy get a TDL with a IDL?

Sent from my Le X820 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Pass a colour test, a reaction and perception test and sit through a 45 minute video. That's it.

[johnjohn2]

I got mine in one day. Get the medical paper, go in and do the eye test. 

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, johnjohn2 said:

I got mine in one day. Get the medical paper, go in and do the eye test. 

It's not just the eye test, there's a reaction and perception test as well. Oh, and you have to get a residents letter as well as the doctors letter.

Edited December 1, 2017 by giddyup

[soisanuk]

15 minutes ago, giddyup said:

It's not just the eye test, there's a reaction and perception test as well. Oh, and you have to get a residents letter as well as the doctors letter.

Yes as to the residence letter.  As to the reaction and perception tests, this depends on the Land Transport Office - Banglamung (Pattaya) sometimes omits the perception test if they have many people - although some I know said they didn't have to take either.  When I last renewed my 5 year license, they didn't require me to take the perception (lateral vision) test.

[giddyup]

41 minutes ago, soisanuk said:

Yes as to the residence letter.  As to the reaction and perception tests, this depends on the Land Transport Office - Banglamung (Pattaya) sometimes omits the perception test if they have many people - although some I know said they didn't have to take either.  When I last renewed my 5 year license, they didn't require me to take the perception (lateral vision) test.

Not sure how one-eyed people can pass a perception test, but then I'm colour blind and passed the colour test, with more than a little help.

Edited December 1, 2017 by giddyup

[smotherb]

2 hours ago, johnjohn2 said:

Incredibly easy to get a TDL if you have a IDL. I think that would be the best option.  

Boy, your version of incredibly easy and mine are different. I have an active US car and motorcycle license, so I went to the TDL Bureau in Songkhla. Asked info and was told I only needed to fill out some papers and take the eye and reaction tests, since my US DL was still active. After a three hour wait, interspersed with the two tests, and several trips up and down the stairs for waiting; I had all the papers I needed for both TDLs--car and motorcycle. So back downstairs and back to the main waiting room. Only another hour and a half later, after filling out more papers, and two separate photo shoots, I had them, two TDLs. Had it been for just one license, the car, I would not have had to fill out the motorcycle papers or do one of the photo shoots. That may have saved 30 minutes.   Since I got there at 9am, and they broke for lunch, it was nearly 3pm before I had the TDLs.

[lordblackader]

3 hours ago, giddyup said:

It's not just the eye test, there's a reaction and perception test as well. Oh, and you have to get a residents letter as well as the doctors letter.

It very much (like a lot of things in Thailand) depends on the province and given office. 

 

In Chiang Mai, upon presentation of a valid Western Australian drivers license all I had to do was the color blindness test as well as naturally fill in various forms and hand over a medical certificate and certificate of residency. Took 1 hour. 

[matador007]

The IDP itself is valid for 1 year.

Therefore, you can drive on it so long as your home Country licence + IDP is valid.

 

P.S. So far everytime (~6x) I've been pulled aside on my scooter (wearing a helmet), once I show my licence+IDP the officer sends me on my way.

[MINIMIGLIA]

2 minutes ago, matador007 said:

The IDP itself is valid for 1 year.

Therefore, you can drive on it so long as your home Country licence + IDP is valid.

 

P.S. So far everytime (~6x) I've been pulled aside on my scooter (wearing a helmet), once I show my licence+IDP the officer sends me on my way.

yes valid for 1 year but only 90 days here, do a border run and come back another 90 days, police don't care but have an accident, and the brown stuff will hit the fan!

[sometimewoodworker]

6 minutes ago, matador007 said:

The IDP itself is valid for 1 year.

Therefore, you can drive on it so long as your home Country licence + IDP is valid.

 

P.S. So far everytime (~6x) I've been pulled aside on my scooter (wearing a helmet), once I show my licence+IDP the officer sends me on my way.

It doesn't matter how long the IDP is valid for, some are valid for 2 years.

 

Thai law permits you to use it (while it is valid) for 90 days from the time you enter Thailand.

 

After that all you need to do is have an accident where you are at fault and there is a lot of money involved. Then you will find that your insurance is void because you are driving illegally and you are in a world of hurt.

 

Just because a Thai police officer hasn't enforced the law doesn't mean that you are not breaking the law.

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, jayci said:

How to easy get a TDL with a IDL?

Sent from my Le X820 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

[The Deerhunter]

5 hours ago, giddyup said:

Pass a colour test, a reaction and perception test and sit through a 45 minute video. That's it.

Done it twice now.  Yes very simple but an Chiang Wattana I never heard about a video.

 

I did the below for a mate.  Cheers

 

I took my home country Driving Licence, my Passport, and a Statutory declaration from the my Embassy written by hand that said:

 

"I, XXX declare that my permanent residential address in Thailand is; 

 XXX XXX XXX XXX".

 

No photos required to bring with you.  They take the digital pic in an interview booth just before they print the licence.

 

I also had it translated but am sure this was an un-necessary step as they already say that your home driving licence must be translated into Thai or English, which means that English is an acceptable language for them to work with, if your licences is already in English.

 

Each category of licence requires a separate application so I had two of everything, for car (includes Ute, pick-up truck) and for me, also Motorcycle.  

 

Photocopy services are available very cheap. in several places in the Driving licence building in Chiang Wattana area near Mo Chit end of BTS (too far to walk in the heat.  Take a taxi from Mo Chit BTS if you go by sky train.)

 

The first stage is to confirm that all your required documents and copies are correct.  After they accept your forms as correct, at the main counter on level 2, you are given a little thermal docket with a 4 digit number beginning with "3" & sent to wait in a huge waiting room full of LCD monitors.  There  are over 20 booths with "examiners” in them but only 2 or 3 are for you.  They do licence conversions and as your number comes up it is announced in Thai AND English.  That 3xxx series number is only for you guys converting an existing overseas licence.

 

Then go to level 3.  These are "physical tests" to test your vision & reaction times.  Instructions are written in the wall in English but some of them only understand Thai. Suggestion:  Learn the Thai words for Red, Green & Yellow.

 

The first one is colourblindness test.  You have to say which colour you see.  I found this very easy for me to do.

The second one is a depth perception test.  Hard to explain but you have 2 buttons to adjust a white rod (pole) in a tunnel to the same position (depth) as the control rod. Easy for me.  

3 is reaction.  How quick can you move your R foot from the accelerator to brake when the lights change.  Easy for me after 50 years driving.

4. was difficult to me.  You hold your face against a thing and must only look directly ahead.  Then tiny LEDs (R, G, Y, ) start appearing in the peripheral vision area on each side.  You have to say which colour is appearing & point to L or R  where you see it.  I found Red & Yellow were easy but green took me a bit of spotting as it seemed very faint as if there was a problem with the machine.  But I passed when I realized what I was looking (or not looking) for.  Remember, you have to look forward as it is a test of your peripheral vision & the colours appear out at the sides.

 

Then you get another thermal number docket 3xxx etc & wait in the big room on level 2 for your number.   Pay the examiner & get licence after your photo is taken & printed all in a few minutes of the "interview."

 

Valid for two years & repeat.  Then every 5 years.

 

 

[ianwheldale]

Been here since Feb 8th and got my TDL 2 days ago. Been driving on an IDP up till then with no problem. Last time I had to produce at roadside check was 5 days ago. I've read in numerous places an IDP is good for 12 months, but as with everything in LOS there are multiple answers to every question none or all of which can be correct

[Ulic]

90 days at a time. Every time you leave the country whether for a vacation

trip or border bounce the 90 days resets. 

[overherebc]

8 hours ago, Ulic said:

90 days at a time. Every time you leave the country whether for a vacation

trip or border bounce the 90 days resets. 

Very true until the day you have an accident and damage some hiso's merc and the cop who turns up really knows the law. I wouldn't take the chance when getting a TDL is not that difficult to get and at worst means one full day of boredom and a bit of hassle.

[Kwasaki]

16 hours ago, matador007 said:

The IDP itself is valid for 1 year.

Therefore, you can drive on it so long as your home Country licence + IDP is valid.

 

P.S. So far everytime (~6x) I've been pulled aside on my scooter (wearing a helmet), once I show my licence+IDP the officer sends me on my way.

Comment posts like this are bad info and an accident waiting to happen.

Hope nothing unfortunate happens to you because if it does I hope you've got deep pockets.

Edited December 2, 2017 by Kwasaki

[Peterw42]

There is some great information on the website below, The act says IDP not actually required if home license is in english (its only a translation document). 

Also once you have a long Visa a Thai license is required. An IDP accompanies your home license, as a translation document. 

 

"An international driving permit (IDP) can be obtained in your home country. Basically, it is a translation in English of your original driving license, so if your national driving license is not in English it can save some hassle with the police if you can produce an IDP.

 

 Section 42-2
In case there’s a treaty between the Thai government and a foreign government regarding mutual acceptance of driver’s license, an alien who doesn’t have an immigrant visa may drive a motor vehicle with a driver’s license issued by such a foreign government, or an automobile association authorized by such a foreign government.

 

People who are residents in Thailand (on a non-immigrant visa) are required to obtain a Thai driving license in order to legally drive a car or a motorbike.

 

http://driving-in-thailand.com/type-of-driving-licence-required/

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by Peterw42

[brianbbbb]

20 hours ago, giddyup said:

It's not just the eye test, there's a reaction and perception test as well. Oh, and you have to get a residents letter as well as the doctors letter.

I recently got my new  thai driving licence for car for two years is that the normal .

[kham9]

90 days driving on an IDP then have to get thai driving licence.

Could someone please provide a link to an official or reputable website that confirms this really is a law in thailand.

Several expat websites state this requirement, but is that information accurate?

A reputable site that could be more accurate would be a thai government site, an international car hire company or a car insurance company

[Peterw42]

14 hours ago, ianwheldale said:

Been here since Feb 8th and got my TDL 2 days ago. Been driving on an IDP up till then with no problem. Last time I had to produce at roadside check was 5 days ago. I've read in numerous places an IDP is good for 12 months, but as with everything in LOS there are multiple answers to every question none or all of which can be correct

The Thai traffic act say once you are on a non Imm visa, you are required to get a Thai license. You havnt been driving on an IDP, an IDP is simply a translation document. Thai police may wave you on showing an IDP (they dont know your visa or length of stay) but if you had a serious accident after may 8th, or after you got a non Imm visa, technically you would have been unlicensed.